ABSTRACT

The effects of quantitative replacement of Soya bean meal with raw sword bean meal in grower rabbit diets was investigated in a completely randomized design experiment using twelve grower rabbits. There were four treatments of three rabbits each. The experiment lasted for fifty-six days. The result showed that there were no significant differences (P>O.05) among all the growth performance parameters. The feed conversion ratio showed no significant difference (P>O.05) among rabbits that fed treatment diets. The lowest value was obtained with 5% (32.25% quantitative replacement of Soyabean meal) raw sword bean meal. The highest gross margin of N1666.26 was obtained with 15% (96.76% quantitative replacement of soyabean meal) raw sword bean meal. The cut parts and organ weights showed no significant difference among rabbits fed diets with the exception of the thigh and the back cut. Thigh weight was highest with diet 4 and lowest with diet 3. Back cut weights were highest with diets 3 and lowest with diet 4. There was significant difference (P<O.05) in the liver and spleen weights, which did not follow a specific trend. With exception of MCHC and WBC, there was significant difference (P<O.05) in the values of haematological parameters studied. Among the treatment means there were no significant difference (P>O.05) in the biochemical indices. From the foregoing, it is concluded that raw sword bean meal could replace Soya bean meal in grower rabbit diets up to 15% (96.72% quantitative replacement of Soya bean meal)